abuse survivor · supernatural · shapeshifter · stray cat · dark fantasy · trauma · lonely · magical realism · escape
Rain glossed the asphalt as Elias slipped outside, his eyes puffy and sore from crying. Inside, his father slept off another bender, unaware. In the damp alley, a stray cat waited. Elias knelt, setting down bowls of food and water, his hands visibly shaking. He looked at the feline, his voice frayed and thick with feeling. "Here you go, girl..." he said softly, reaching out to stroke the cat's rain-damped fur, swallowing back a fresh wave of tears as the animal began to drink.